This invention relates to a novel dental implement and more particularly to an article of manufacture useful for inserting dental floss in hard-to-reach areas between teeth and under fixed bridges or connecting caps. The relevant art includes dental implements and articles which are useful in cleaning teeth and fixed bridges.
The use of dental floss for oral hygiene is well known. Dental floss is a soft and flexible material which is usually manually inserted between teeth and worked toward the gum by a back and forth motion. It helps remove plaque and other debris and thus helps in cleaning the teeth. Insertion of floss is easily accomplished between normal teeth with normal spacing therebetween. However, where the user has a fixed dental bridge or connecting caps in place of natural teeth, the situation is different. In a fixed bridge, one or more artificial teeth or pontics are positioned in the place of missing teeth and are anchored to natural teeth by means of retainers, such as caps, crowns or jackets. The occlusal surfaces of the teeth forming the bridgework are bonded together to form a continuous surface from one end of the bridge to the other, so that a length of dental floss cannot be worked between two adjacent teeth of the bridge in a conventional manner. Instead, the floss must be inserted under the bridge. One implement heretofore used to insert floss under bridgework is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,794. This patent discloses the addition of a stiffening element made of fine wire to the end of the floss so as to present a needlelike structure. A disadvantage of this implement is the possibility of the wire causing injury to the gum tissue. Moreover, this device is more costly and more difficult to package and use than the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a dental implement which may be used to position dental floss for cleaning under fixed bridges, splints, or connecting caps. It is another object to provide an economical means for removing plaque and otherwise cleaning the hard-to-reach areas under fixed bridges. Further objects will hereafter be apparent.